Human resources professionals have long debated whether to give references about former employees. It’s simultaneously tempting and scary to spill what you know about a less-than-desirable former employee. You also may be eager to sing the praises of an exemplary ex-employee you want to see do well in future endeavors.
Regardless of whether you decide to [...]

Employers generally go to great lengths to retain valued employees. They know the benefits of keeping good, experienced people and avoiding the costs of recruiting and training new hires. Sometimes, though, the words “I quit” are music to an employer’s ears. A problem employee out the door seems like a problem solved.
But is it? Suppose [...]

Employers may be experiencing the nagging dread of age discrimination more frequently these days. Simultaneous to the surge of baby boomers reaching retirement age comes the decision by many to delay their exit from the workforce, setting up a perfect legal storm centered on age discrimination.
Employees who saw their retirement nest eggs dwindle during the [...]

By Reggie Gay

Employers that need workers often find themselves inundated with applicants — especially in today’s down economy. Some employers have even resorted to limiting the applicant pool to currently employed individuals as a way of dealing with a deluge of resumes. But that can be a legally shaky strategy.

by Reggie Gay
Q: We have a job applicant who worked for us approximately six years ago. There’s nothing negative in her file, but there were some issues with her job performance. Neither of her former supervisors wants to hire her back. She has applied several times and has received rejection letters, but she keeps reapplying. [...]

In Tuesday’s election, four states — Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah — approved ballot measures that would guarantee employees the right to secret-ballot voting in union elections. We decided to ask employment law attorneys in each of the four states — all members of the Employers Counsel Network — about the outcome of [...]

A federal judge blocked parts of Arizona’s new immigration law on Wednesday, the day before the rest of the measure went into effect. But legal challenges are already flying and many are waiting to see what happens next.
Last year, a record number of immigration-related laws were considered and passed in the 50 states. Over 222 [...]

by Rita M. McKinney
Supervisors can be an employer’s frontline of protection against costly discrimination claims — if they’re armed with the right information and training. Here are 11 important things every supervisor needs to know.
Basic Training for Supervisors – easy-to-read guides to avoid legal hazards, covering more than 17 areas of supervisor training

In discrimination cases filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, first, the employee must establish a prima facie (minimally sufficient) case of discrimination. Once he does that, the burden shifts to the employer to produce evidence that he was rejected or someone else was preferred for a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason. [...]

by D. Michael Henthorne
In this second part of a two-part series, I examine the unusual figurative relationship between union-free policy statements, the human nature of employees and employers, and a neglected utility closet.
In the first article, I described a large utility closet located on the carport adjacent to my house. Once an ideal and highly [...]